Splice variants of the cell surface glycoprotein CD44 associated with metastatic tumour cells are expressed in normal tissues of humans and cynomolgus monkeys

doi:10.1016/0959-8049(95)00420-3

European Journal of Cancer

Volume 31, Issues 13–14, December 1995, Pages 2385-2391

https://doi.org/10.1016/0959-8049(95)00420-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

Certain isoforms of the CD44 glycoprotein family play an essential role in the metastatic spread of tumour cells. Protein expression of such CD44 isoforms has also been observed in a variety of human malignancies. In this study, we compared the expression of exon v5- and v6-containing CD44 isoforms in normal human and cynomolgus monkey (Macacca fasciculata) tissues. Cloning and sequencing of cynomolgus CD44 exons v5 and v6 revealed a homology of 97% and 95%, respectively, between man and monkey. Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against an epitope encoded by human exon v5 (VFF8) and an epitope encoded by exon v6 (VFF18) were used to determine expression of CD44 isoforms in man and monkey. Immunohistochemical screening of a representative profile of normal human and cynomolgus tissues revealed that expression of exon v5- and v6-containing CD44 isoforms was almost identical in the two species. Exon v6 staining was observed only in a subset of epithelial tissues, whereas v5 staining was additionally detected on certain non-epithelial tissues. These data suggest that cynomolgus monkey could serve as a system to test the usefulness of antivariant CD44 MAbs with regard to antibody-based tumour therapy.

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Original paperSplice variants of the cell surface glycoprotein CD44 associated with metastatic tumour cells are expressed in normal tissues of humans and cynomolgus monkeys

Abstract

Cell

Lancet

Eur J Cancer

Genomic structure of DNA encoding the lymphocyte homing receptor CD44 reveals at least 12 alternatively spliced exons

Splicing choice from ten variant exons establishes CD44 variability

Nucleic Acids Res

The two major CD44 proteins expressed on a metastatic rat tumor cell line are derived from different splice variants: each one individually suffices to confer metastatic behavior

Cancer Res

Retardation of metastatic tumour growth after immunization with metastasis-specific monoclonal antibodies

Int J Cancer

Prevention of tumor metastasis formation by anti-variant CD44

J Exp Med

A human homologue of the rat metastasis-associated variant of CD44 is expressed in colorectal carcinomas and adenomatous polyps

J Cell Biol

Differential expression of CD44 splice variants in intestinal- and diffuse-type human gastric carcinomas and normal gastric mucosa

Cancer Res

Original paper
Splice variants of the cell surface glycoprotein CD44 associated with metastatic tumour cells are expressed in normal tissues of humans and cynomolgus monkeys